View report page

307
With few exceptions, the girls in Senior and Junior departments
now remove their tunics or skirts for the physical training
lessons, thus ensuring greater freedom of movement. Suitable
footwear is still a problem in many schools and to obtain gymnastic
shoes entails much effort. It is hoped that this difficulty will be
overcome, however, in 1937, if the principles embodied in Circular
1450, issued by the Board of Education, are adopted.
The provision of shoe lockers in the new schools opened in
1936 will do much to facilitate the changing necessary for physical
training lessons and the provision of hot water in the lavatories
will overcome the difficulty experienced, in the past, of classes
returning to the classroom with hands too dirty to handle material
for the next lesson.
Arrangements for the provision of the necessary gymnastic
apparatus and equipment were made on the same lines as in former
years and the children were taught to handle this equipment carefully
and speedily.
Swimming.
All schools (Central, Senior and Junior) with the exception
of two, sent classes to the Baths during the season. The Bath
accommodation available is now taxed to the limit and it was found
impossible to increase the quota of each school, in spite of the desire
expressed by many departments for this to be done. The problem
of giving the new schools, opened since the swimming season of
1936, a place on the swimming time table in 1937 has yet to be
solved. The results of the 1936 swimming season are most gratifying
and show an increase in numbers of every class of certificate
obtained but most noticeably in Life Saving awards. The number
of Bronze Medallions of the Royal Life Saving Society (not granted
to anyone under 14 years of age) increased from 42 to 78, whilst 4
Bars to this Medallion and seven Instructor's certificates were
gamed. Owing to the advanced standard required for these tests,
and the age qualification, the majority of these Medallions were
rained by girls in the Central Schools, but it is worthy of record
that one Senior Girls' School obtained 20 such honours.
The number of girls who learned to swim a width for the first
time was again over one thousand and the total certificates gained
by the girls rose to over three thousand.
Girls from thirty-one departments entered for the Inter-Schools